apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

You may find something similar at Contemporary Cloth
http://www.contemporarycloth.com/

Apart from careful matching of the seams, the other option is to spend a lot of money and buy extra yardage, because it doesn't look as if this design has a clear direction -- that is, buy as many lengths of 35 inch wide fabric as you need for the length of the duvet times two.

Look at the prices for custom printed fabric (this is the cheapest I could find. Cotton, 60in Width, Weight 3.87oz/sq.yd) for 5 bucks a yard. If you really love the diamond design I can help you recreate the pattern with Illustrator and I can send it through email so you can get it custom made. I hope that helps.

lol I forgot the link: http://www.customprintedfabrics.com/chooseSubType.do?supTypeId=1

How about making the seam deliberate? Sewing solid pieces of color (found in the fabric) as band across the duvet?

You can go crazy with the yellows and pinks or more subdued with the gray and white.

You could make big squares and at the seams put pink piping. That would be a way to make the seams deliberate but still subdued.

Thanks for the fabric link- they have great stuff!

Exactly what Deborah said. You just need to buy extra yardage. If you sew neat, straight seams and double check that you have the pattern perfectly matched up before you sew you won't even be able to see the seams. Every pattern repeats in regular intervals. Just measure the goods in the store (ie. bottom tip on large purple diamond to " ") Take that measurement and add it to each panel you'll need. Queen size with 45" goods = 3 panels. Each panel is app. 2.5yards ea. the measure of the rep. So you might need as much as 9 yards for one side of the duvet. I would also edge stitch the seam allowances or press them open to eliminate puckering. All in all, if the goods are indeed 45" wide you're going to need a lot of yardage. However the custom duvet and bragging rights are always worth it.

if you wanted to make a duvet, i'd suggest doing the back side of it a solid color. another idea would be to just buy a duvet in said solid color, use the fabric as a decorative bedspread. that's what i did with a childhood sheet i found at my parents house. it was a twin-sized fitted sheet, and i took out the elastic. i want to do something more finished with it, but for now it is just a pretty cover for my boring solid comforter. pulling it off to wash is easy.

I think her name is Megan, not Candace!

I like the suggestions above for making the seams obvious, but part of the design of the cover by using piping on the seams. You could also go for sort of a quilted look by combining pieces of the printed fabric with pieces of solid colored fabric that complement the colors in the print. If that's not enough of the pattern, then you could make a couple of throw pillows from the print to beef up its presence.

(Oh, and how come the reader signed the question as Megan but the response is addressed to Candace? Did I miss something?)

i fell in love with this fabric when i saw it in person at ikea in philadelphia. i actually just made it into a wall hanging to go over my bed a couple of days ago. there were velour pillows with the grey/green/yellow scheme that i liked too.
pictures here:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a113/anb722/IMG_4097.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a113/anb722/IMG_4104.jpg
(verbena wanted to get in the picture too)
the fabric feels like a linen and the pattern feels screenprinted. it came pre-cut.
my partner doesnt really like the diamond innuendo, but he likes the finished product.
alexis

thanks so much for all the helpful comments!

Sorry about the name confusion, I go by my middle name but everything like email and such is my first name. Everyone is usually confused and I can thank my mother for that.

I guess I might just bite the bullet and buy a ton of this fabric. I will be sure to post picture of the finished product, I know how much we all like update posts!!
C. Megan (haha)

What about using the fabric across the bed, in bands, as opposed to running the length?

I'd also suggest padding it a bit so the seams look like part of design as mentioned, like a quilt. Look at the patterns of some of the quilts and duvets at Garnet Hill for pattern inspiration.

Doing the fabric in bands is another really good approach -- I like the idea of piping but it's not as easy as it sounds to get it looking professional.

How about using the entire width of the fabric and do a very wide full round border and have a center square that's a color in the fabric or a contrasting color. Maybe in something soft and velvety?

OK, someone's got to say it:

anb, verbena is so sweet (and matches the room so well)!

Yes, Meghan, do bite the bullet.

I've made myself a few duvet covers over the years. I only have a double bed and even with 54' drapery fabric the ideal way is to cut two pieces the length of your duvet, cut one piece in half lengthwise, and then flank the one full-width one with them (in order to show as much of the completed design as possible). Therefore, there would still be two seams showing. So, I actually think you have it much easier because cutting a 3-foot long piece of 54' fabric in half exactly is not easy once you get it home.

Please show pictures when you're done. Good luck!